The word "productivity" embodies a multitude of concepts. Each person views productivity with relevance to different factors, both in terms of cause and effect. This is why what boosts productivity and how it impacts one’s life can be interpreted in more than one ways.

In this blog, we have attempted to research and bring forth the concepts of everyday professionals and experts. Instead of quoting famous people from different eras in the past, these people are here today – facing the modern world as we do.

Yet, they seem to have a better and clearer grasp of what productivity should look like and how it impacts our lives.

Without further ado, let’s hear it – straight from the horse’s mouth. Here are 15 productivity quotes to get you going.

1. De-Stress

“…productivity isn’t a simple equation of inputting money and getting out work. Non-work related stress can have a major impact on people’s ability to focus and get things done.

Rather than wasting resources, give people the time and support they need to recover and create dedicated company ambassadors in return.”

— Steffen Maier, Co-founder Impraise

Research by Gartner has proved that stress has a direct relationship with a lack of productivity. Stress is inevitable.

What holds importance is learning to manage stress so it does not stand as a roadblock. It is important to take timely and continuous measures to keep work and employees stress-free.

2. Be Receptive

“The more receptive we are, the more energy and inspiration we have to be truly productive. The more productive we are, the more important it is for us to become better at receiving and processing signals.”

— Patrik Ward, Flinto

Being open to new ideas, people and beliefs help a person to move forward. Getting stuck to a belief or a concept and refusing to open doors to new ideas can render one stale. If you want to do more, learn more.

3. Plan Carefully

“Being more productive, or improving your team’s productivity, is the result of careful planning and focused efforts. It requires a diligent approach to time management and workflow practices.”

— Chloe Smith, Business Consultant

The impact of great planning can never be underestimated. Plans are directly dependent on well-understood goals. According to research by PMI, a lack of clear goals is the most common factor (37%) behind project failure, according to executive leaders.

4. Confidence and Efficiency

“Being productive is a great thing. Not only does it increase your self-confidence and sense of well-being, but it can also make you more effective and your company more profitable.”

— Peter Economy, Best-Selling Author

Productivity is a lot more than just getting things done. When we accomplish things on a daily level, it increases our confidence, diminishing levels of fear. This helps us eliminate negative thought patterns so we can focus on possibilities instead of potential failures.

5. Escape Your Comfort Zone

“The comfort zone is a place that never grows anything.”

— Lisa Patrick, Speaker

We struggle every day to find comfort in our lives. Yet, when we get too comfortable, we are more likely to pass on risk-taking and thinking out of the box. It is important to keep the fight going and be more accepting to experimenting with new landscapes.

6. Know What You Want

“Productivity is about ‘knowing what you want to do, intending to do it, and doing what you wanted to do’.”

— Lila MacLellan, Reporter, Quartz at Work

Hard work and experimenting are key factors for success. However, unless you know the direction, the set of actions may be keeping you busy without landing you required results. Be clear about what you want and how you want it.

7. Hide Your Phone!

“Hide your phone when you are trying to work. Seriously.”

— Tanmeet Sethi, Integrative Medicine Fellowship

We all know about how devices, especially our mobile phones, have an effect on our productivity. Continuously checking our emails, social media notifications, or just a message from friends or family, we spend a significant chunk of time on our phones.

According to research, US adults will spend an average of 3 hours and 35 minutes per day on mobile devices in 2018, an annual increase of more than 11 minutes.

8. Find Synergy in Life

“When you start living a life full of productivity, it doesn’t only affect your business life, but also your social and personal lives. When all three of those areas are synergetic, happiness is unstoppable.”

— Ron Lieback, Founder/CEO, ContentMender

Productivity does a lot more than help you accomplish a certain set of tasks. Staying productive can have a momentous effect on various aspects of your life, professionally and personally.

9. Leverage Productivity Tools

“When it comes to productivity apps and tools, using the right tools to manage your social media can save you LOADS of time.”

— Holly Sutton, A Branch of Holly

Getting your hands on the right tools can boost teamwork, increase productivity, and return positive results. However, it is important to know which tool works for you.

Start with to-do list apps. Then, research and choose the productivity tools that help you stay more efficient.

10. Track Progress

“When you’re reporting your numbers and progress to someone else, you instantly become more motivated to reach your goals.”

— Stefan Chekanov, Brosix

By monitoring progress and keeping a track of our milestones, you know exactly where you stand. It also helps you assess the practicality and effectiveness of the devised strategy.

This is important especially in Agile frameworks where each milestone is assessed and strategies are improvised as necessary.

11. Keep It Clean

“A clean environment keeps the mind clean and sharp.”

— Peter Shankman, Help A Reporter Out (HARO)

There is no doubt that a cluttered desktop and untidy environment can be distracting. Take the time to organize and clean out everything around work, online and offline. This includes de-cluttering your email inbox, as well as physical workspace.

12. Keep Meetings Short

“In order to liberate minutes, if not hours, from a tight daily schedule, I recommend establishing the 20/45 rule: Most 30- or 60-minute meetings can be trimmed to 20 or 45, with discipline.”

— Laura Vanderkam, Author and Speaker

Never ending meetings can be a major energy drainer. In fact,research shows that 59% of employees feel less engaged because of too many meetings. This can place a negative effect on workplace productivity. In order to keep meetings productive, it is important to keep them short and concise.

13. Take Time to Grieve

“Set yourself a limit on feeling upset, give yourself an hour or a day or as long as it takes and when that time is up – you stop and move on.”

— Lilach Bullock, Speaker/Coach

At the end of the day, we are all humans. We are bound to come across disappointments and losses. It is best to take time out and grieve.

By accepting our losses, it is easier to move on and regain control of your professional and personal life. Lyndon B. Johnson put it this way: “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.”

14. Set Boundaries

“One aspect of healthy boundary setting may mean fully disconnecting from technology both for success at work and personally – one to two hours a day, one day a week, and 1 week a quarter.”

– Dr. Beth Linderbaum, Manpower Group

Technology can be addictive and can boost productivity. However, some research also shows the negative impact of technology, if not handled well. Every once in a while, put away your devices and absorb nature to revive yourself.

15. Simplify Work

“Instead of putting it off til last, break down those challenging tasks into manageable chunks that you can handle first thing.

Divide the big tasks into the simplest steps and then complete as many of those steps as you can manage within the time you’ve allotted in your schedule.”

— Emmie Williams, Entrepreneur/Writer

It is only natural to be intimidated by difficult and time-taking tasks. The best way is to break them down into manageable sections. This makes it easier to plan, monitor and troubleshoot work a roadmap.

Do you have a quote that inspires you to be more productive? Share the top productivity quotes that help you stay on track in the comments below.